Treatment
You usually have follow up appointments with your doctor or specialist nurse. You also normally see a .
You usually have follow up appointments to check how you are and see whether you have any problems or worries. The appointments also give you the chance to raise any concerns you have about your progress.
If you had an operation to remove the cancer, your doctor will also check to make sure the cancer hasn’t come back.
How often you have follow up appointments can vary. This depends on if you had surgery to remove the bile duct cancer or if the cancer has spread. Cancer that has spread is called advanced or secondary cancer.
Your doctor will also arrange for you to see a dietitian. This is because bile duct cancer can make you lose your appetite and lose weight. And surgery to remove bile duct cancer can make it difficult for you to digest food.
Read more about diet problems caused by bile duct cancer
You will have a follow up appointment after your operation to check you are recovering well.
After this you might have appointments every 3 to 6 months for the first 2 years. If there are no signs of the cancer coming back during this time, the appointments may change to every 6 to 12 months. This is normally for the next 3 years or longer.
Your doctor uses these appointments to check for signs of the cancer coming back. If it does, your doctor will talk with you about what treatment is best. And you will have follow up appointments more often again.
You might have follow up appointments every 2 to 3 months if you are having treatment for the cancer. This is to see how well the treatment is controlling the cancer and how it is making you feel.
If you have stopped having treatment, you may decide with your doctor that you only see them if you have any problems.
Your doctor or specialist nurse will refer you to a local symptom control team or palliative care team. They see you or speak to you regularly and help you cope with symptoms. How often you see them depends on what symptoms you have and how well they are controlled.
Read more about controlling the symptoms of advanced bile duct cancer
Your doctor or specialist nurse usually examines you at each appointment. They ask how you are feeling, whether you have had any symptoms or side effects and if you are worried about anything.
You normally have some tests ready for your appointment. This can include:
a CT scan of your chest, tummy (abdomen) and the area between your hips (pelvis)
blood tests
A CT scan can show your doctor if the cancer has come back after surgery to remove it. If the cancer is advanced, a CT scan can show if the treatment is controlling the cancer.
Blood tests help check your general health, such as how well your liver is working.
Find out more about CT scans and blood tests from our A to Z page
You might find having follow up appointments quite worrying. And having scans to check the cancer can make some people feel anxious. You can talk this through with your doctor or specialist nurse. They can:
reassure you
explain how often you'll have follow ups
explain why you're having follow ups as often as you are
tell you about any support groups
It can help to tell someone close to you how you’re feeling about your appointments. And many people find it helpful to take someone they trust with them. Sharing your worries can mean they don’t seem so overwhelming. You may also find it helpful to see a counsellor.
Read more about counselling and find a counsellor near you
It’s a worrying time for many people and we want to be there for you whenever - and wherever - you need us. Cancer Chat is our fully moderated forum where you can talk to others affected by cancer, share experiences, and get support. Cancer Chat is free to join and available 24 hours a day.
Last reviewed: 14 Oct 2024
Next review due: 14 Oct 2027
Treatments for bile duct cancers include surgery, chemotherapy and treatments to control symptoms. The treatments you have depend on the stage of the cancer.
You might have surgery to remove bile duct cancer if it hasn't spread elsewhere in your body. Your healthcare team will make sure you are well enough for the operation.
Advanced bile duct cancer has spread outside the bile ducts into nearby lymph nodes or organs. Or it has spread to parts of the body further away from the bile ducts.
You may need help and support to cope when you have bile duct cancer. There are people, resources and organisations who can help you and your family.
Survival for bile duct cancer depends on many factors including whether the cancer is in the bile ducts in the liver or outside of the liver.
Bile duct cancer is also called cholangiocarcinoma. It is a rare type of cancer that develops in the small tubes that connect the liver and gallbladder to the small bowel.
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